


In The Company of Shadows

by queen_scribbles



Category: Pillars of Eternity
Genre: F/M, Infiltration, Slight Canon Divergence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2017-12-22
Packaged: 2019-02-18 11:27:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13099122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queen_scribbles/pseuds/queen_scribbles
Summary: Tavi says Fuck It to ruling Caed Nua, leaves someone else in charge, and goes to help Aloth with dismantling the Leaden Key.





	In The Company of Shadows

**Author's Note:**

> for prompt #18: Infiltration

 

“I’m coming with you.”

The words were expected, as was the determination with which they were uttered. “Tavi, no.”

“Aloth, yes.” Tavi plunked down next to him, spinning the point of her whittling knife against the table. “It’s important, an’ I don’t like the idea of you goin’ alone. And I don’t mean it like that,” she hurried on, raising a hand to cut off the protest he was about to make. “It’s not a slight against any of your skills, I just think for as ambitious a goal as dismantlin’ the entire fuckin’ Leaden Key, you should have at least one person’s worth of backup.”

Aloth smiled knowingly, tracing graffiti carved into the tabletop with one finger. “And you think it should be you?”

“Gods, yes,” she said vehemently. “We work well together, you know I’m good in a fight, if it comes to that, and I can read souls. I figure that’ll come in handy for something like this.”

Aloth bit his lip. “All of that is true,” he allowed. “But subtlety has never been one of your strengths, Tavi. And that will be a rather important skill for this... venture. As will the ability to bite your tongue.”

Tavi was quiet for a moment, staring at the divot her knife was making in the table’s surface. “For somethin’ this important t’ you, I could work on both of ‘em.”

“You know better than anyone the Leaden Key is not a forgiving opponent,” he felt obligated to point out. “Your first slip up would likely also be your last.”

“Well, good thing I’m a fast learner,” she shrugged, twisting the knife again.

“What about Caed Nua?” 

“Steward’s run the place for decades, she can handle a while longer,” Tavi countered. “And Keya can be my representative or whatever . I fuckin’ pay her enough t’ do that, and she has a better temperament for mediating conflict and shit than I do, anyway.”

Aloth sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m not talking you out of this, am I?”

She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “No, dear. You’re not.”

<<>>

They left three days later, with a mostly thought-out plan and complete confidence everything would be fine while they were gone. Keya had accepted the ‘diplomatic representative’ role with alacrity and Tavi trusted her.

“Next stop, Defiance Bay,” she grinned, as Caed Nua faded into the distance behind them.

“I’m still not sure this is the best idea, Tavi,” Aloth sighed, adjusted the straps of his pack. “You’re rather well-known in the city, especially since the Dozens assumed leadership, and that’s detrimental to keeping a low profile.”

“It’s also the location of the only Leaden Key cell we know about,” Tavi countered. She raised an eyebrow. “Unless you know somethin’ you ain’t tellin’ me, city slicker.”

He shook his head. “No. I said no more secrets, and I meant it.”

“So we go back in through the catacombs--disguised of course--an’ if the Acolyte and her cell are still there we try to delicately question some people. If they _aren’t,_ we see if they left anything helpful behind. Both are long shots, sure, but it’s all we fuckin’ got.”

“Better than nothing, at least,” Aloth agreed. “Anything that helps is good.”

“That’s the spirit,” Tavi grinned, reaching for his hand as they walked.

<<>>

The catacombs under Woedica’s temple were empty, the former Leaden Key enclave deserted. Tavi had been expecting that, if she was honest. The unrest in the city had citizenry on edge, which would work against a group trying to go unnoticed. Also, it had been long enough since she killed Thaos that a strategic withdrawal made sense. It was easier this way, anyhow. 

She and Aloth spent the next couple hours combing the enclave for anything useful, but came up empty until Tavi found a half-rotted corpse in the Acolyte’s former chambers. Enough of the soul’s essence clung to the body that she could get a fairly decent connection, and there was just enough in the lingering consciousness to the point them where they needed to go. Much as she disliked the idea of traveling all the way to fucking _Mercy Vale_ , Tavi couldn’t deny it made sense as a location for the Leaden Key. So after one more night’s rest at the Charred Barrel, they were on their way.

<<>>

Mercy Vale was further along in its recovery from the Saint’s War than either of them expected. There were still signs, of course; the wooden skeletons of buildings not yet completed, a smaller populace than expected for a town  this size.

“Alright, who are we looking for?” Aloth asked, pulling the hood of his cloak higher in a gesture that reminded Tavi rather sharply of their first meeting, in another, far distant, village.

 _I hope this one has fewer belligerent drunks,_ she thought idly as she called up the mental image provided by the poor soul in the catacombs. “Um... don’t have a name, that would be too easy. Dwarven man, brown hair, clean shaven, eye patch.”

“Well, that’s distinctive,” Aloth said dryly. “If you don’t have the name, do you at least have an idea where to find him?”

Tavi snorted. “Where do you always find people? The tavern.”

“Oh, of course. Silly me to expect any deviation from the norm.” He reached out and grabbed her arm as she began striding down the main street. “You remember our plan?”

“‘Course I do, city slicker.” Tavi patted his hand reassuringly, then shook it off. “Let’s go. An’ stop worryin’. If this group’s run by a cipher, they can probably pick up on that.”

“Right,” Aloth nodded. They made the rest of the walk to the tavern side by side in silence. A quick scan of the room when they arrived didn’t reveal the contact they sought, so Tavi asked the bartender.

“Aye, that’s Kendel,” the woman nodded. “Back in the corner, love. But he’s real picky ‘bout his comp’ny.”

“Warnin’ noted, but I’m sure I’ll convince him,” Tavi replied with a smile. She heard the bartender snort as she walked away, and briefly worried how much attention it would draw if they _could_ convince Kendel to talk to them. “There he is,” she told Aloth, pointing toward the table the innkeeper had indicated.

The dwarf in question looked up as they approached, his remaining eye glittering dangerously. “What d’you want?”

“To talk to you,” Tavi replied, maintaining eye contact until he grunted and looked away.

“Well, then, state your name and purpose,” he said, tone surly, almost mocking.

The elves exchanged a look and then Aloth cleared his throat. “My name belongs to the gods and my hand to their service.”

Suddenly Kendel looked very interested indeed. He pushed aside his mug, the ale sloshing slightly. “And what company do you seek?”

Tavi had to bite her tongue to keep from answering with Aloth. “I seek the company of shadows, that our work may remain secret.”

The pattern repeated with the other two passphrases; Kendel asked, Aloh answered, and Tavi bit her tongue to keep quiet and play the new recruit even as her conversation with the Acolyte rattled around in her head.

Once Kendel was satisfied, he gestured at Tavi. “So what about her? Why’d she clam up?”

“She wants to join,” Aloth explained with a shrug.

“Even with what just happened in the Dyrwood?” Kendel probed. Seeing their blank looks, he leaned forward and explained, “Some elf bitch fucked up the Grandmaster’s plans. Some say she killed him, but I ain’t sure I believe that part.”

 _Believe it, asshole._  “Even if that’s true, surely the gods still have need of you.”

“Right you are,” Kendel said with a nod. “As far as you joinin’ goes, I”ll hafta talk to our Acolyte; see if we’re even interested in bringin’ in new blood.”

“Of course,” Aloth said smoothly, squeezing Tavi’s hand under the table before she could protest at the delay. “Should we meet you here?”

“Nah.” Kendel jerked a thumb toward the door. “Take a room at the inn across the street. We’ll be in touch.”

<<>>

They took long enough to make good on that promise, Tavi was beginning to wonder if he cell had decided against recruiting now, or figured they were a threat. But finally, after two days of twiddling their thumbs and getting progressively more nervous, a messenger arrived with a short note. So short, in fact, it only contained a location and a time.

“Well, that’s promising,” Aloth murmured, toying with the scrap of parchment. “If they were suspicious, they would simply vanish like smoke on a breeze and we’d never find them.”

“So, what, we go to this meeting and they test me to see if I’m worth their time?” Tavi asked, running her fingernail up and down the length of a scratch on the table.

“Essentially,” Aloth nodded. “Mostly seeing if you have any useful skills or knowledge and how well you can keep a secret.” He looked briefly troubled.  “They won’t hold back, and I won’t be able to help you.”

“Got it.” She smiled at the lingering worry in his eyes. “I’m a big girl, city slicker. I can take care of myself, and withstand quite a lot.”

“I know. In most cases it’s just some questions anyway, so remember our story and everything will be fine.”

“Right.” Tavi cracked her knuckles. “Fine.”

It was. The Acolyte for this cell was male, tall enough Tavi briefly wondered if he was aumaua before catching a glimpse of dusky tan skin between his hooded masked and robe. He asked her some rudimentary questions, but she could feel him probing at her mind the whole time. She put up a wall of emotion to match her story--curious, seeking to best serve the gods--and prayed that it was enough.

The Acolyte didn’t seem thrown by what he found, and welcomed her as a sister and initiate of the Leaden Key. “Your first task is a simple one: attend the town meeting tomorrow, and report to me on the people’s attitudes.”

“Yes, Acolyte,” Tavi said blandly. “You want me to go alone or...?”

“Take him,” the Acolyte gestured almost dismissively at Aloth. “You two already seem to have something of a rapport, and a couple will draw less suspicion than a lone stranger.”

They both nodded and took their leave. Neither spoke as they climbed the stairs out of the basement, or made their way through the house.

“Well, that went well,” Aloth finally said as they walked down the street.

“What’s the point of havin’ us go listen to people talk?” Tavi kicked a pebble and watched it skitter.

“It’s an easy thing to give a new member,” Aloth explained. “As a test of ability and intent. I did the same thing many times when I first joined. And this sort of thing allows them to gauge if popular opinion is going the way they want it to.” 

“Alright, I guess that does make sense,” she admitted grudgingly. “Whaddya think they want public opinion to be?”

“Since I know them so much better than you?” Aloth said dryly. He smiled when Tavi rolled her eyes and bumped her shoulder against his. “Knowing the Leaden Key, almost definitely something negative regarding animancy. As to what angle they’re using, I haven’t the foggiest. I’ve no idea how much of an issue animancy could possibly be in a village this size, but I’m sure we’ll find out.”

<<>>

And find out they did. Not at the town meeting, or even the Leaden Key debriefing afterward, though a local thayn was a popular topic at both. It wasn’t until a few days later, when the Acolyte directed Tavi to slip into Thayn Yngmar’s house and switch some papers, that they realized he was housing and funding an animancer.

“The woman acts his wife in public,” the Acolyte explained disdainfully, “but in fact their relationship is of a different nature. Simply find this Esmy’s workshop and replace her research notes with these. Her work will remain fruitless for a good while.”

“Is anyone gonna get hurt?” the question escaped before Tavi could stop it, but fortunately fit her crafted persona well enough to not raise eyebrows.

“No one who wasn’t going to already,” was the cryptic--and not at all reassuring--reply.

But there wasn’t anything she could do about it. To get in good enough to truly dismantle this cell, she had to complete her task. Alone. Well, almost. The Leaden Key had someone in the household who could help a little, but she was going without Aloth, which she didn’t like. She hated the secrecy of this gods-damned organization. The Acolyte had simply said Aloth was ‘needed elsewhere’ and gotten huffy when she pushed for details, so she dropped it.

Now, as she followed a blond elven servant through the house, part of her was wishing she’d pushed just a little harder. She had a bad feeling twisting in her gut that something for one of them was going to go wrong. If she was right, she wanted to at least know where to stage a rescue. Hopefully she was just being paranoid, but she hadn’t survived this long by banking on _hopefully_. The secrecy was driving her insane.

“Here we are,” the servant said, tone reminding her far too much of her brother, as he gestured at a door. “The thayn and his animancer are out playing the happy couple for dinner with the mayor. So you don’t have to rush, but I wouldn’t dawdle either.”

“Well, with that in mind, you have any hints where she keeps her notes so I don’t have to search the whole fuckin’ room?” Tavi asked, looking the door up and down to check for enchantments.

“No.” He shook his head. “Mistress Esmy is very secretive. You’re on your own, I’m afraid.”

“Lovely.” She sighed and pushed open the door. “Does she keep a back up copy of her notes anywhere that I’ll need to find?”

He shook his head. “Too paranoid they’ll fall into the wrong hands.”

“Ironic. Alright, then.” She watched him walk away and tried not to dwell on the question she hadn’t asked. _Why couldn’t_ you _do this?_ She was pretty sure the answer involved her being far more expendable if she go caught.

Fortunately, she didn’t get a chance to test that theory. The switch went off without any issue, and was creeping out the shadowed back even as the thayn and his ‘wife’ returned through the front. In keeping with her instructions, she didn’t return to the Acolyte, but instead went “home” to the rented room at the inn. She pulled the curtains closed and locked the door before pulling a messy bundle of papers from under her cloak and spreading them across the table. All but two were Esmy’s original notes. Notes Tavi had been instructed to burn. The other two were from the altered replacement notes. She’d figured replacing the majority would still have the same effect, and now she had some proof of the Leaden Key’s dealings in Mercy Vale.

Aloth smiled tiredly when she showed him upon his return several hours later (enough she was starting to worry). “Is that your plan, then? Dismantle this cell by publicizing their sabotage?”

Tavi shrugged. “Why not?”

“Oh it’s a good plan,” he clarified, clearly fighting a yawn as he discarded his cloak and sat on the bed to pull off his boots. “It’s just... lighter on fighting than I would expect from you.”

“Yeah, I know.” She wrinkled her nose in pretended displeasure. “But most of the kith we’ve met in the cell don’t seem like bad people. I don’t wanna kill ‘em unless we fuckin’ have to.”

“And you don’t have an qualms about furthering their goals?”  he probed.

“Aloth...” Tavi sighed. “You know I’m not as settled on the animancy thing as you are. But even if I was a hundred percent in support of it, the way it’s bein’ handled here--in secret, with no oversight--is bad. I may not like that it won’t be fairly represented thanks to the Leaden Key’s meddlin’, but that doesn’t mean I fully fucking support it, either.” She ran one hand through her hair and focused on straightening the pile of papers. “‘Sides, I expect when we expose the Key’s activities here, we’ll also expose Thayn Yngvar an’ his animancer, so it’s worth waitin’.”

There was no reply or commentary from behind her, so she turned to see if Aloth had gotten lost in thought or something and couldn’t help but grin. He’d fallen asleep. Just leaned over until he was sort of laying on the pillows and gone out like a candle in a gale.

Tavi shook her head and tucked her hair behind her ear as she crossed the room. _What did they have you do that wore you out so bad?_ She tucked her hand under his knees and shifted his legs up on the bed, which earned her sleepy mumbling but not much else. “Gods, I don’t remember the last time you were out this hard,” she whispered, tugging the blanket free from her side of the bed to wrap around him before she went back to the papers. She needed to find somewhere to hide them, and hopefully any others they found. This venture, keeping company with the very shadows they sought to undermine, was going to be risky.

<<>>

It took several harrowing weeks, four close calls, and at least two lost opportunities, but Tavi and Aloth did manage to scrape together a good sized collection of fairly damning evidence, amassed little by little on various endeavors. Thayn Yngmar had only been one person of interest to the Leaden Key. Mercy Vale’s archivist was a former animancer who still held favorable views toward the practice. Leaden Key agents had done much to subtly undermine the man, and Tavi had very nearly gotten herself caught collecting proof. That night had been the first one in a long time Aloth insisted on sleeping with one arm wrapped around her. Now, as they surveyed the collection of papers they’d built, Tavi could only think of one thing they were missing.

“We need somethin’ to prove who the Acolyte is,” she said as they bundled the evidence back up. “That’s the only way I can think of to be sure this cell stays wrecked once we’re done with it.”

“Tavi, you know how dangerous that is,” Aloth protested, straightening a stack of papers before folding them over and binding them with string. “We have plenty here to dismantle the cell; I don’t see why-”

“B’cause if we don’t expose him, he’ll just go to ground ‘til things are calm and start again,” Tavi shot back, raking hair out of her face impatiently. “If we’re gonna take down this cell, I wanna fuckin’ do it right.”

“I see your point,” Aloth conceded reluctantly, packing away the bundled evidence. “I just... you do realize what that will entail, yes?”

“Yeah,” Tavi nodded. “Infiltrating and searching his chamber in that basement without getting caught.”

“And we still need a lead of some kind to the next cell,” Aloth reminded her. “We haven’t found anything solid yet.”

“I know.” She sat next to him and squeezed his hand. “If there’s anything to find we’ll find it. The house is empty; we can sneak in whenever we want.”

“And if he’s there?”

“We sneak right back out an’ try some other time. There’s no evidence that he or anyone lives there. It won’t be that hard.”

“Famous last words.” Aloth smiled gamely. “Even if it would be, what choice do we have?”

“Exactly.” Tavi leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, trying not to dwell on the dangers inherent to their plan.

<<>>

Much to her relief, there were no guards posted, and no enchantments or traps that either of them could detect when Tavi and Aloth snuck into the empty house. She wasn’t sure if that was arrogance--thinking no one would look for them--or trying to make the house seem worthless, but it didn’t really matter. Still, they were cautious. Despite her growing impatience, Tavi made herself creep down the stairs only slightly faster than a snail, listening carefully for any sign someone was down there.

Given that it remain silent as a grave( _bad analogy, Tavi_ ) the whole way down, they relaxed slightly once they reached the floor. Still quiet, but with slightly more speed, they made their way to the room the Acolyte used. Tavi let Aloth take the first peek down the short corridor, and then did the honors of trying the door herself.

It was locked, of course. So she took the simplest route and broke the lock.

“What are you _doing_?!” Aloth hissed.

“Getting in the room,” Tavi whispered back fiercely. “Neither of us knows how to _pick_ a lock, and this is our only shot _anyway_ , so I don’t particularly _care_ if someone knows we were here.”

He looked less than thrilled, but didn’t argue. Instead he nudged the door open. Both let out a breath they didn’t know they’d been holding when it was clear no one was in the room.

“Okay,” Tavi murmured, scanning the organized bookshelves and near-immaculate desk. “You search the bookshelves, I’ll take the desk, and we’ll both have to keep an eye on the door.”

Aloth nodded and both of them went to work. After a few minutes, he commented in an undertone, “Are we certain the Acolyte’s not a wizard?”

“Considering his multiple attempts to read my mind, yeah, I’m pretty damn sure he’s a cipher,” Tavi muttered, poking through a drawer. “Why?”

“There’s quite a collection of grimoires here for someone who’s not using them,” he replied.

She frowned, looking up from the desk. “Could he be both?”

Aloth bit his lip and pulled one off the shelf to page through. “That would be... unpleasant. But not unheard of. In theory, anyone could learn to be a wizard. And a cipher’s ability to focus would make it far easier for them. I don’t relish the thought of facing someone with _both_ skills.”

“Was that your subtle way of telling me we should hurry?” Tavi said with a smile, closing another unhelpful drawer.

“It’s my subtle way of telling you perhaps we should just find a lead to another cell, turn what we have over to the authorities, and _leave._ Without unmasking him. I don’t think it’s worth the risk.”

After a few moments of thought, still furiously rifling through drawers, Tavi reluctantly nodded. “You’re right. As usual. Which isn’t fucking fair- Aha!” she crowed, pulling a small, folded slip of parchment from the back recesses of the drawer. “’ _Our brothers and sisters in Deadfire could use some help. Can the family spare aid?’_ Here we go, this is promising.”

“I’m so glad you found what you were looking for.” The Acolyte’s voice rang in her head, but Tavi couldn’t see him.

She tensed, leaning over the desk, evaluating each item visible as a weapon and dismissing them all.  Behind her, Aloth had frozen as well, still paging through a grimoire.

 _‘You heard him, too?’_ she mouthed, and he nodded. “Awful nice of you to be happy for me,” she said out loud, still trying to locate him.

“No trouble at all,” the Acolyte said smoothly, stepping out of the shadows at the far end of the short corridor and stepping closer. “In finding what you sought, you confirmed a suspicion of mine. So we both profited from your little venture.”

“Always glad to help out,” Tavi said glibly, mind racing. She was weaponless, and even if she had her sabres he was too far away--

A searing bloom of pain lanced through her mind, cutting off her thoughts as she dropped to her knees. She was dimly aware of banging her chin against the desk, Aloth’s cry of alarm, but they were a distant second to the agony speared through her skull.

 _Fucking **ciphers,** _ she groused internally, even if she couldn’t push the words past her lips. As she attempted to gather herself and regain her feet, another wave of pain pulsed through her head. _Gods damn him!_

Even as she struggled to push through the pain, Tavi could hear Aloth chanting something, and looked up just in time to see a crackling bolt of electricity fly from his outstretched hand. It hit the Acolyte’s chest with enough power to burn through him before rebounding off the wall and down the corridor. It slammed into a pile of dry-rotted crates, splintering them and setting the pieces ablaze.

“Nice choice. Guess he didn’t know you were a wizard,” Tavi managed as Aloth helped her to her feet. “Or he’d’ve made you put the grimoire down straight away.”

“That’s the spell I had it open to, and I worked very hard to keep that knowledge secret,” Aloth said, dropping the borrowed grimoire on the desk so he could tip up her chin. “You’re bleeding.”

“An’ the fuckin’ house is gettin’ ready to burn down,” Tavi retorted, running her tongue over her split lip. “Priorities, city slicker. Let’s get outta here an’ then we can worry about me.”

“Right.” Aloth nodded, his hand curling around hers as they hurried toward the stairs. Tavi gave in to the urge to spit on the Acolyte’s body as they passed, and Hylea’s _tits_ did it feel good.

Old and dry as it was, the house kindled quickly, and the floor of the main level was already smoking when they emerged from the basement. Hand in hand, Tavi and Aloth hastily exited the building, warned the first locals they passed, and then hurried back to their room at the inn.

“Well,” Tavi said as she cleaned her lip, “guess we don’t hafta worry about _unmaskin’_ the Acolyte anymore....”

Aloth gave a sharp laugh. “That’s one way of lookin’ at the bright side, I suppose. We also burned down a house.”

“No one but us knows who did that,” Tavi protested. “An’ I’m pretty sure they caught it b’fore it burned all the way down. I know it wasn’t _subtle,_ but it’s not like we did it on purpose, and it doesn’t tie to us, so the Leaden Key shouldn’t get suspicious...”

“Suspicion is in their nature,” he countered cynically. “But I do appreciate the _we_.”

Tavi shrugged. “We’re in this together, an’ you were protectin’ me. Figure we can share the blame.” She kissed him on the cheek. “Let’s get this shit dropped off with someone in authority and get the fuck out of here.”

Aloth grinned. “Feeling antsy already?”

Tavi shrugged. “It’s a long way to the Deadfire Archipelago. I’d rather get movin’ sooner opposed to later.”

He slid one hand around the back of her neck and pulled her in for another kiss. “They’ll still be there in a few weeks, Tavi. Better to do things right than fast.”

She smirked and rested her forehead against his. “You do realize how many different ways I can make that dirty, right, Corfiser?” 

“Yes, and I’m fervently hoping you won’t take any of them,” Aloth replied, taking a step back. “Even if we’re not in a hurry, we still have work to do.”

“That we do,” Tavi nodded, eyeing the pile of evidence on the table and praying silently the next time would go more smoothly. “Deadfire, here we come.”


End file.
